I’ve been asked many times to share my process for cleaning and storing records. There are so many schools of thought and so long as you’re not cleaning your records with sandpaper and stacking them like pancakes, your process is probably just fine. I know many record collectors who don’t bother to clean their records at all. I know of others that are even more obsessive that I am (hard as that may be to believe). The process I’ve adopted follows quite a bit of research and a lot of trial and error. My goal is to get the records in my collection as clean as I can, as safely as I can and to store them in such a way as to protect them for many years to come.

Links to all the items mentioned can be found at the bottom of this article.

Cleaning

My process begins with every record being cleaned on an Okki Nokki record cleaning machine. Vinyl does not touch my turntable until it’s been given a complete cleaning. This ensures the best sound possible for that particular record and helps to extend the life of my stylus. For cleaning fluids I use Mobile Fidelity’s Super Deep Cleaner and Pure Record Rinse. Setting the Okki Nokki’s platter to spin the record counter-clockwise, I apply the Deep Cleaner with a soft goat’s hair brush. I then set the platter to spin clockwise and vacuum all the liquid away. This is done using two complete rotations of the record but no more as that can cause static electricity to build up. The Deep Cleaner is effective while being very mild and gentle but to really ensure a complete clean, I then apply the Record Rinse. This is done with the platter still spinning clockwise but rather than use the goat’s hair brush, I apply the Record Rinse with a Mobile Fidelity Record Cleaning Brush. Again the vacuum is employed to remove all remnants of the liquid. At this stage the side of the record that’s been cleaned is essentially dry as the vacuum is quite powerful but I’ll visually inspect it to ensure this is the case and if I detect even the slightest moisture, I’ll let the record sit there for a couple of minutes to ensure it’s all evaporated. The record is then flipped and the process repeated. A benefit of the Okki Nokki over some other record cleaning machines is that the platter is covered in a rubber wrapping. This means that if the “dirty” side of the record has left any debris on the platter, you can easily wipe it away with a semi-damp cloth before placing the clean side of the record on it.

The cleaning process described is the same for 12”, 10” or 7” inch records. The only difference is the vacuum tube arm used. I have one for each size and each are specifically designed to ensure all of the record playing surface can be cleaned without touching the record label. If after cleaning I detect any static electricity (rare but can occur – especially during the winter months) I’ll use a Zerostat antistatic gun to discharge the static before removing the record.

Storage

12” records

With the cleaning process complete, the thoroughly cleaned and dry record is placed into a new inner sleeve. For 12” records I use the highly regarded Mobile Fidelity Original Master Record Sleeves. These are extremely gentle on records and are anti-static. If the record came with an original paper inner, I store this inside the record cover. I then place the cover into a new Japanese re-Sealable outer sleeve and place the record behind the cover (rather than inside it). By keeping the record stored outside of its cover the risk of ringwear is reduced. The Japanese outer sleeve is then sealed. My preference is to have the flap of the sleeve wrap around the spine of the cover as it ensures legibility of the spine when the record is sitting on my shelves. I’ve heard some collectors balk at this as they find the flap can become bent when the record is removed and replaced on the record shelf but I’ve never encountered this myself.

7″ records

The storage steps for 7” records are similar to the process for a 12” record with a few minor variations. I use 7” Japanese inner sleeves. These Polyethylene Plastic “rice paper” style inner sleeves have been used by discerning collectors for many years and are also extremely gentle on records. With a cleaned 7” record in its new Japanese inner sleeve, the record is placed inside a white card sleeve (for further protection). The record, inner and card sleeve are then housed inside a Japanese outer sleeve and if an original sleeve is present, that’s placed on the outside of the card sleeve containing the record but still all housed within the Japanese outer. All of my 7” records are kept within white cardboard 45 storage boxes. As I’ve so many Nilsson 45s I use dividers labelled with the various countries of their origin.

Ongoing Care

Having gone through these steps there’s really nothing more that needs to be done to keep the records in excellent playable condition. Occasionally through use, some light dust particles may be attracted to a record so before I put a record back into its housing I’ll use the Zerostat gun and the Giottos Rocket Air Blower to blow away anything that might be sitting on the record. I’ve tried dry record brushes before for this but I find the combination of the anti-stat gun and air blower do a superior job of removing unwanted particles. Before each play I’ll also inspect my stylus. If it’s picked up any dust I’ll use a carbon fibre stylus brush to clean. This is done carefully by lightly making contact with the stylus and very slowly and gently pulling the brush towards me.

That’s it. It looks like an awful lot when written out like this but honestly it doesn’t take very much time at all to properly clean and store your records. You don’ have to go through all of the same steps or use the exact same equipment but it is a good idea to clean your records, put them in new clean sleeves and store them on proper shelving or in record boxes. Your records will thank you with many hours of listening enjoyment.

1. Okki Nokki Recording Cleaning Machine

2. Mobile Fidelity Super Deep Cleaner

3. Mobile Fidelity Pure Record Rinse

4. Mobile Fidelity Record Cleaning Brush

5. Okki Nokki Goats Hair Brush

6. 10” record vacuum tube

7. 7” record vacuum tube

8. Giottos Rocket Air Blower

9. Zerostat antistatic gun

10. Ortofon Carbon fibre stylus brush

11. Mobile Fidelity Original Master Record Sleeves

12. 12” Japanese Re-Sealable Outer Sleeves

13. 7” Japanese Inner Sleeves

14. 7” White Card Sleeves

15. 7” Japanese Re-Sealable Outer Sleeves